Restaurant Rants

By Ned Alan Sokoloff

Specialty Group was created in 1986 as a result of Neds vision and his ability to identify the need for a company specifically designed to help aspiring and current bar and restaurant operators. Since opening Specialty Group, Ned has had dozens of articles published in local and national publications. This book is a sampling of those articles published over the past 25 years. His one-of-a-kind spin on the dos and donts of restaurant and bar operations is unique, interesting, informative and entertaining.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Jan 6, 2014
• ISBN: 9781483673684

Ned Alan Sokoloff

I met Ned over 25 years ago. I know many of the people he has helped over the years, from the top chefs to the mom and pop operators. It is a common knowledge that he and his unique company provide the industry with high quality service and a say what you mean, mean what you say approach. He is the go to guy! Chef Donato Coluccio, Owner Donatos Restaurant Fox Chapel, Pennsylvania

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Copyright © 2014 by Ned Sokoloff.

ISBN:                   Softcover                               978-1-4836-7367-7

                            eBook                                     978-1-4836-7368-4

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

Rev. date: 05/01/2018

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CONTENTS

Preface

Dedication

In Appreciation

Information About The Author And His Company ‘Specialty Group’

OPERATIONS

Cleanliness Is Next To . . . .

Get In The Game!

Good Will, Bad Will

Longevity

The Don’t Go List

How It Should Be

Waiting

Coupon Power

Keep It Clean

Think Spring!

Face To Face

First Happenings

Fill The Niche

Promote

MANAGEMENT

Get Compensated!

Be A Know It All

Records And Receipts

Rejuvenate

Managing Your Space

Close The Gap

Give Them What They Want

Be There

Boring Kills

Cash In On Sports

Complacency

Dress The Part

Problems

KITCHEN / OPERATIONS

Back To Basics

It’s The End They’ll Remember

Bigger Is Not Better

Floating Food

MONEY

It Can Only Get Better

Stop The Bleeding

Be Like A Squirrel

CUSTOMERS

Initial Responses

It’s Not A One-Way Street

Customers Are Not We Or Guys!

Recognition

No Demerits

Thank You And Goodbye

They Are The Future

BUYING & SELLING

Grow Slow

Burnt Out

Selling Potential

Selling Attitudes

EMPLOYEES

’Tis The (Flu) Season

People People

If You Don’t Listen, You’re A Fool

Attracting And Retaining Employees

Smile

Your Key Employee

LIFE

Healthier, Tastier And Better

Doomsayers

Enjoy What You Do

State Of The Economy

SERVERS

Pet Peeves

My Pleasure

Order Of The Order

The No Problem Psychology

What’s The Special Of The Day?

The Thumbprint

Service, Service, Service

I’m Sorry

Get The Order Right

Keep It Positive

Don’t Make Them Ask!

Don’t Forget To Up-Sell

Keep Customers First

Where Is Our Server?

Stop Asking

Write It Down

MENU

Children’s Menus

To Take Out Or Not To Take Out

Too Much Or Too Little

Full Disclosure

Menus Talk

GENERAL

Good Timing

The Final Straw

Timing

Partnerships

Responsibility

Loyalty

Trends

A Lesson In Fresh

PENNSYLVANIA MISCELLANEOUS

There Goes Another Century

I Didn’t Know

Lost In The Shuffle

Business As Usual

Penalty & Intere$T

Supply And Demand

Happiness Is Competition

FEATURED ARTICLES BY SIDNEY SOKOLOFF

Articles by Sidney Sokoloff

Accommodate Allergies

Apps to the Rescue

Ask the Right Questions!

Brunch It Up

Comped or Stolen

It’s All About the Experience

Eye-to-Eye

Flair or Flop

Fresh from Concentrate

Get Infused

Handcrafted or Hand Crafted

Is That a Uniform?

The Four Avoidable Words

Millennials Are Your Friends

The Power of Positivity

Re-Brand

Restaurant in the Cloud

Say Yes!

The Face Killer

The Misinformed Bartender

Feedback

Times Up!

Tip-Free Policy

You’ve Reached Your Limit!

PREFACE

It was back in the late 1990’s when I was given a chance to write for a magazine that specialized in the restaurant, bar and alcohol industry. Called the Observer, the magazine was a trade publication, and its readership was mostly made up of the people who worked in the field.

My job was to write a column each month highlighting anything related to those subjects in the Pittsburgh region. I jumped at the chance, but after a few months, I soon realized that my knowledge of this vast industry was woefully limited to going to restaurants as a patron. I needed someone to give me some guidance. Then by happenstance, I was given the name of a company in the northern part of Pittsburgh that specialized in this very thing. It was called Specialty Group, and its cheeky tagline of We Put People Behind Bars sounded like the type of place I needed to seek out.

This became my first meeting with Ned Sokoloff, the company’s founder and president. I explained to him my naiveté, but he didn’t scoff or brush me off. Chances are he probably saw many people like me during the course of his day—those naïve but energetic folks who wanted to understand more about a specialized field that is far more complex than many people realize.

Ned quickly explained to me the issue I brought to him. And he didn’t just settle for a generic explanation. His knowledge was dizzying, almost intimidating. He also could be brutally honest about his opinions, but completely impassionate about his love for restaurants and bars, and for the people who work at them. It became the first of many times I would seek out his wisdom during my now 15th year of writing for the Observer.

During those years, I have bounced all sorts of subjects off of Ned, from the alcohol tax in Pittsburgh to the proposed dissembling of the PA state stores. As a writer, you need sources for an article, but you want people who don’t just give you filler. You want sources who articulate a strong and adroit handling of the subject. Some of his sage advice, in fact, still sticks with me: Bars and restaurants generally always make money; it’s the mismanagement of the profits that usually doom them; and owning a bar is a full-time job; you don’t get into the business because you want a 9-to-5 job.

Of course, that is just the tip of the proverbial iceberg. This book, a collection of Ned’s writing through the past decade, reflects his more than 40 years of working in this tough but satisfying business. Ned leads you through the various dealings of owning a place; the day-to-day running of an establishment; and even how to handle customers in a civil and respectful way.

If you are looking for a source of knowledge for the industry, you have to come to the right place. I know I am grateful I did more than 15 years ago.

Jeff Vavro

Talk of the Triangle Columnist, Observer Magazine

DEDICATION

This book is dedicated to my step-father, William Sokoloff. As a hard-working operator of a couple dozen bars at once in Philadelphia, he taught me everything he knew about the business, as well as all of the virtues needed to be successful in my life.

Also, S. David Litman, Esq., who recruited me when I was green and brought me to Pittsburgh in 1975. He became my friend, mentor and remains one of the smartest people I have ever known in my life.

IN APPRECIATION

My wife, Terri, a successful restaurant business broker in her own right, has contributed to the content of this book in ways too long to list. Without her as my business partner, this book simply would not exist.

My son, Sidney who was kind enough to design and create the cover for this book.

Also, I would like to thank my incredible staff for all of the time and effort they put into this book. I could not have done it without them.

INFORMATION ABOUT THE

AUTHOR AND HIS COMPANY

‘SPECIALTY GROUP’

President and CEO, Ned Sokoloff, was born and raised in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Ned was mentored by his step-dad ‘William J. Sokoloff,’ a proprietor of thirty bars in the Philadelphia area, gaining Ned first-hand experience in the Pennsylvania bar/restaurant industry during the mid-1960’s. Operator frustrations were evident as he watched and helped ‘Big Bill’ and other operators work through all sorts of situations in the industry.

Those ‘informative years’ enabled him to develop a vision for a professional company to serve both experienced operators and first-timers under one roof. His vision came to fruition in 1986 when he opened a boutique service business for the bar/restaurant industry and called it Specialty Group.

Today, Specialty Group welcomes all operators from neighborhood bars and pizza shops to five-star restaurants and catering operations, as they all are connected by a common thread: they are all hard-working, dedicated operators making a living in our industry.

Specialty Group has been providing business solutions and services now for the past 30+ years. As a true boutique business, offering services ‘a-la-carte’ at affordable flat rates, customizing services to meet operator’s specific goals.

Our principles have most impressive backgrounds in the industry ranging from having been awarded Pennsylvania’s Top 50 Women In Business, to PA Restaurants Association Member of the Year Award. Ned has sat on the Pennsylvania Restaurant Association’s Board of Directors for over 10 years. They have given seminars, authored industry columns, are featured in many publications and periodicals.

Specialty Group has come to be viewed as an industry resource to local and national media, and is regularly contacted for comments and insights regarding industry trends, current local happenings and opinions on issues that affect restaurants and bars.

OPERATIONS

CLEANLINESS IS NEXT TO . . . .

No, this is not a sermon. I spent some time looking up what I thought would be the original meaning of this well-known phrase, but really, don’t we all know the meaning of cleanliness as it relates to our businesses? I have in the past focused some of my articles on the total restaurant experience and how important every part, from start to finish, that experience is. How it can make you or break you. But I want to take a closer look from the cleanliness point of view and recognize just what an important part of the experience it really is.

This topic is a global one when it comes to our industry because every aspect of the business, including the people, must pass this test. Just the other day, while sitting in a nice family place everything seemed to be in order (at least according to my standards) but as I waited for the meal I was distracted by the sunlight coming through the glass front door. It was filthy and looked like it hadn’t been touched in decades. Was the kitchen in the same condition? I wondered.

Yes, we believe we can rely on the health department to do what it can to protect us from bacteria of all kinds, but the kind of clean I am talking about is not microscopic, but rather obvious. Have you ever heard the phrase, you can tell a good restaurant by the cleanliness of its bathrooms? Frankly, I think it’s true. But when you are dealing with people, not only the front of the house staff, but also the kitchen and other assorted help, the calculations become more complicated. Our real estate division ‘Specialty Real Estate, Ltd.’ spends a lot of their time evaluating and analyzing bars and restaurants. Ultimately, they tell me that it’s the kitchen that leaves the biggest impression on a prospective buyer. Not just how big or small, but how clean it is when inspected. Several months ago, I wrote a piece which included the observation of a server’s thumbprint on the dinner plate when served. It wasn’t so much the fingerprint that bothered me when I wrote that, but where the thumb was last. It makes you wonder. And that wondering is what turns customers off.

I may have told you before that my dad owned a number of bar/restaurants as I was growing up. I would go on Sunday (in those days the blue laws kept the businesses closed) and watch my dad deal with the weekly clean-up of his businesses. Pine oil was the rule of the day! Everything was cleaned with it from floor to ceiling every Sunday and to this day I associate clean with that smell. I know that is an old fashion concept with the pine oil, but your restaurant should not only look clean but smell clean as well.

I know we all come from different backgrounds with different concepts of clean, but, as we are able to identify the perfect basketball shot, a perfect swing in golf, or the perfect quarterback pass, it is clear that there is only one perfect clean. Those of you who provide an experience at your business that includes clean employees, a clean environment, and clean things, enjoy the repeat business you deserve.

GET IN THE GAME!

It’s amazing how fast time flies… April, then September, then January. No sooner is it New Year’s Eve… then it’s New Year’s Eve again! When we talk about our lives, we all talk about how time flies. On a smaller scale, weeks fly by the fastest. It’s Friday and then it’s Friday again. In our business, the weekend is very much welcomed because it is the busiest time of the week and, fortunately for us, it happens fifty-two times a year!

From the perspective of the customer, I can’t tell you how many times my wife and I find ourselves driving around the area on a weekend night looking, not so much for a place to eat, but rather hoping we can find a place that will not make us wait an hour and a half to be seated. On those occasions when you decide last minute to go out to eat, if it is a weekend night, in this part of the world you typically don’t have a chance. It’s really depressing to be driving around endlessly from place to place, praying that the next place you come upon doesn’t beg the question, "what are they giving away in there?" There always seems to be a few dozen people just hanging around the main entrance waiting. As an aside, what really amazes me about that, is waiting to be seated in a restaurant is one of the few things Americans will wait patiently for.

That brings us to the topic of technology. I am not going to attempt to explain how technology has affected our lives and businesses. One thing is for sure though, if you don’t have a laptop or desktop computer, then you probably have an iPad, but if you don’t have an iPad, then I know you have a cell (smart)phone. Along with all this amazing hardware comes the amazing software (apps) that have changed the way our industry does business. Especially in the way restaurant reservations are made. Electronic Reservation Booking (ERB) is now offered by at least a half a dozen national companies that I know of. If filling empty tables is your ultimate wish, clearly, that is the way to go. In addition, the same companies that help you to fill seats, will also list your restaurant under a dozen different categories so that those looking for your type of food or drink can be found quickly and easily and then, after they find you, a reservation can be made, instantly.

If you have been thinking about signing up with such a service, I have prepared a list of the most popular, so you can go to their websites and see which may be worth investing in. Here they are; Save My Table, Open Table, Urban Spoon, Live Bookings and Savvy Diner (not in Pittsburgh but go see). Of course, there is another side to that coin. Almost all of the sites allow those who book with them the ability to write opinions about their experience at your business, for better or for worse. In a way, however, that is a good thing because it will keep you and your staff on your toes. Clearly if you are giving 100% to all of your customers, your new positive web reviews will go viral to your benefit. For the barkeeps reading this, there are sites like bar smart where you can show your stuff as well. So, if these concepts are new to you, or maybe you keep away from technology because it is so overwhelming, now might just be the time to go take a look at these sites. I’ll admit that some of them insist on a certain level of quality for enlistment, but others simply give you a place to advertise your business to out-of-towner’s who are looking to make reservations at a place that suits their particular needs.

With the holidays fast approaching, this type of technology can only increase traffic and profits. So, stop thinking about it and get in the game!

GOOD WILL, BAD WILL

A few weeks ago, I had a person walk into my office and drop off discount coupons for a local restaurant here in the north hills. I had only been to the place once in the last five years, so I figured with 10% off the total bill your next visit, why not? At least I will save the sales tax. No big deal, right?

I took a client, we walked in and sat down. As soon as we sat down, the hostess came to our table with a handful of envelopes, a big smile and said, pick one! I did. What was it? You guessed it. Another coupon just like the one that was dropped off at my office one hour earlier, except this was for a free dessert your next visit. Now I have two coupons. Both good for next visit. The coupon I brought was dated the same day I was sitting there. The date on the one she just gave me also had the same date. This is where the fun began.

When the check came, I presented the coupon for the 10%. The waitress looked at it (as though she had never seen anything quite like it before) and said in a demeaning way, "you can’t use this. This isn’t any good! This is for your next visit." Well, I responded, I brought the coupon in with me, is this not my ‘next’ visit? Remember, this is about 10% of the total bill for lunch! "No! She exclaimed, making her point, This coupon is dated today, this can’t be your next visit." At this point I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry. Was I losing touch with reality? When is your next visit?

The waitress left in a huff, bringing back the head manager. I think if she could have gone to corporate in Dallas and brought back the CEO of the chain she would have. Anyway, the manager saw the two coupons on our table. We rehashed the above scenario. She had absorbed the facts and was ready to make a judgment, and she said, I have got to talk to someone else. Then she disappeared. Ten minutes later she told us reluctantly, with a bit of scold in her voice, Ordinarily we would not honor this because you cannot have a ‘next’ visit on the same day as the coupon is dated, but, I, by the power vested in me, will allow it!

Wow, what an ordeal. The irony of the whole situation was that our entire lunch bill was for $21.20. That made the coupon worth $2.12. Do you think that my business